The Minox BD 7×28 is a unique binocular… and that’s not a distinction many can claim. Designed by Volkswagen, the slimline barrels linked by a narrow but very solid metal bridge high on the instrument makes it look incredibly sleek and modern. It leaves almost the entire barrel exposed for a really comfortable wrap-around grip (what Minox calls its “Comfort Bridge” design). Optically it’s excellent… with one caveat… you can’t focus both barrels at the same time.

It is not that often that I get a fairly uniquely designed binocular to review, so when the guys at MINOX asked me if I wanted to review their compact fixed focus BD 7x28 IF binoculars, with its open bridge design I was immediately interested.

A good pair of compact binoculars needs to excel in a wide range of areas, this is because I tend to use them more than any other pair. The reason for this is that they are so easy to carry with me, and so I do - I take my compacts with me just about everywhere I go.

For example good compact binoculars should easily fit into my golf bag, or in my carry bag when I go out mountain biking, hiking or to watch a football game. They should easily fit in the cubbyhole (glove compartment) of my car or just in my jacket or shirt pocket when I going out for a walk. So not only do they need to be compact, but also tough enough to handle being left in a bag and be able to take the heat inside my car when I forget to take them out. As well as this, I also want the view through them to be as to as good as possible, but at the same time they should not be too expensive as to be irreplaceable!

As Director of Sales and Marketing/Outdoor Channels for MINOX Sports Optics and formerly Vice President of Sport Optics for Leica Camera Inc. (NA), Terry Moore is a recognized authority on high-quality sports optical equipment, including "glass" designed for the steadily growing birding market. Born and reared in Oklahoma, Moore exhibited an early interest in the outdoors and pursued schooling as a field biologist before focusing on business. His career grew from part-time work in a camera store to sales and sales management in the consumer photographic industry. In 1995, he established Leica's Sport Optics Division. An enthusiastic birder himself, Moore has traveled extensively in the pursuit of this passion.

Moore gives Birding some professional advice on choosing binoculars, previews the optics of the future, and reveals why - when it comes to optics - birders and hunters are more alike than they might think.

First Impressions can be deceiving. Like when I first wrapped my hands around the MINOX BD 10x44 BP binocular. The wide frame seemed rather beefy compared to the various other models I had recently toted in the field. I attributed it to the Porro-prism design. [...]

Okay, so the MINOX BD seemed a bit big, but that notion disappeared as I effortlessly spun the focussing wheel and viewed chattering prairie dogs 300 yards in the distance. I dropped the binocular from my eyes and lifted it again, confirming that it was as clear as the naked eye, but with 10x performance.

“Let me borrow your binocular,” I asked my buddy during the varmint shoot. He handed me his name-brand roof-prism binocular that cost twice as much. For several minutes I went back and forth between the two, amazed that the Porro-prism MINOX binocular could deliver the same quality. [...]

History and impressions aside he MINOX BD 8x44 BP binocular is quality at an affordable price. […] An innovative internal focus knob – a first in Porro-prism binoculars – rotates easily but has enough tension to stop and hold the focus with no creep. It also aids in ensuring a waterproof seal since the eyepiece doesn’t move forward of back from the main body of the binocular like traditional Porro-prism models. [...] I sank my pair in the tub for an hour with no ill effects.

To zero the binocular to your eyes, MINOX located the lockable dioptre adjustment in front of the focus wheel. Once you adjust it to your eyes it’s out of the way and free of any accidental twists. For extended eye relief, users can turn the twist-up eyecups with click stops to accommodate eyeglass and non-eyeglass users alike. All surfaces are rubberized to increase grip and the ergonomic feel of the product. Even the eyecups and focusing wheel – two areas most manufacturers overlook – received the rubberized treatment.

Porro-prism binoculars have another trait that seasoned users enjoy: the 3-D effect. An increase in the spacing of the objective lenses enhances the 3-D quality, or depth perception, of the image going to your eyes. This aids in precisely locating your target and with range estimation, which is, incidentally, where the MINOX shines. While not the lightest or the sleekest binocular on the market, the BD certainly will match any unit in its price range for performance.

I used the MINOX on a prairie dog shoot and its clairity aided in my spotting efforts to direct missed shots from my friend and to clearly see hits. I also toted the MINOX BD along while scouting for whitetails. From atop a bluff I was able to spot the points of a shed antler sticking out of the alfalfa.